Top 5 interview questions and how to answer them
The most commonly-asked interview questions can make or break a job interview in an instant, so it is important you prepare for your interview by practicing answering them. Get someone to help you, by doing a “role play,” in which your friend can be the interviewer.
The following are some of the most commonly-asked interview questions:
Tell me about yourself?
Answer this question in terms of the skills and experience required for the job. Start with a summary of your career history and how your career has developed. Explain how your strengths will enable you to do the job well.
Why do you want to work here?
One of the keys to coming up with a compelling answer to this is to flip the question, in other words, why would this company want to hire me? Think about what you have to offer and how this company would benefit from hiring you.
What are your weaknesses?
This is one of the trickiest interview questions. Some employers use this question to see how you perform under pressure, its as much about the body language, as it is the answer. It’s important to state at least one weakness, after all, nobody is flawless. Choose a weakness that would not prevent your ability to do the job such as “I have a hard time saying no” or “I sometimes have trouble asking for help”
What are your strengths?
In general, your strengths should be skills that can be supported through experience. For example, if you list communication as a strength, you may want to recall a situation in which you used communication to reach a goal or solve a problem.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
When an interviewer asks you this question, they do so to gain an understanding of your future plans within their company. Take some time to brainstorm what your career goals are for the next 5 years. Do you want to gain new skills? Are you interested in developing to a managerial position?